BICOL HISTORY - Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 16 regions of the Philippines occupying the Bicol Peninsula at the southeastern end of Luzon island and some other islands. - PENINSULA from LATIN “Paen” “almost” and “insula” “Island”- A piece of land almost surrounded by water. - It consists of six provinces , namely, Albay , Camarines Norte , Camarines Sur , Catanduanes , Masbate , and Sorsogon . It has one independent chartered city , Naga City , and six component cities , Iriga City , Legazpi City , Ligao City , Masbate City , Sorsogon City , and Tabaco City . The regional centers are Legazpi City , the region's political Center, and Naga City , the region's most progressive city and it's commercial, educational,financial, religious, and cultural center. - Inhabitants, called “Bicolanos,” - Albay's archaeology shows concrete evidence of trade with China and Malaya/Indonesia going back two thousand years. The first Spanish contact was in 1565, when a treasure-galleon returning to Cebu from Acapulco, Mexico, was swept off course and the captain recorded his awe at the sight of Mt. Mayon erupting. Mt. Mayon is the most prominent of the several volcanoes in the province, and one of the most famous jewels of the Pacific Ring of Fire. 1. Pre-Spanish Colonialization - The original Bicolanos were the indigenous people e.g. the Agta that roam the peninsula. They can be found in the area of Mt. Isarog and Mt. Iriga. They have their own culture and economy. before the foreing commercial influence, their cultural practices were friendlier to the environment even if they practice the traditioinal slash and burn agriculture. One of the elements of their slash and burn practices is to leave the land for a while for it to recover. They transfer to another area. - Contrary to western Historians that Philippines was discovered by the Spaniards, there were already Bicolanos in the region. Artifacts from several museums in the region can attest to this. Some of these artifacts were found in Ticao Island in Masbate. There were aftifacts the pre-date the arrival of the Spaniards by at least 500 years. - There was already a Bicol Culture. Also, the many Languages of Bicol are living evidence to this colorful culture. The Bikol Languages were closely linked with austronesian languages of South east asia and the Pacific . This indicate that the Bicolanos had an interaction, culturally and economically, with its Island neigbors. - In the Island of Masbate, there was still the practice of the local folks to thank elements of nature e.g. water, wind, land, river, etc. before and after harvest. They called this as Pa-Ulaw or Pasasalamat literally thanksgiving. Thanking elements in nature througy Pa-ulaw is not a Western Philosophy as introduced by Christian Philosophy. Related to Pa-ulaw is the Pa-tamoy or nagpapaalam literally asking permission. This means also asking a bountyful harvest or water.